The Waiting List

Don’t wait. Do it now.

I’m talking about making a list.

A list of the things you are waiting ‘until the right time’ to do.

You know, the ‘someday, one of these days, when the time is right, when it all works out, when I have the money, or when it’s okay with my family or my peers’  waiting list.

Go for listing at least 10 things.

20 if you’re as old as me 😉

I’ll wait.

Now that you have the list in hand (you did do this, right??), I want you to go down it, item by item writing down approximately how long you’ve been waiting to do each thing.

Get specific.

Was it since you graduated from high school?
Was it since you hit the big 50?
Was it since your father passed or your husband left you?
Was it as soon as you could quit your job or retire?
Feel free to fill in the wait time and reason for each one.

I’ll wait.

I have a feeling you will be as surprised (and potentially dismayed!) by some of the things on your list as I was on mine. Here are a few from my list.

1. Spending more quality time with my sisters.
I’m waiting because…we can always do it later? (I’m 62, and I’m the baby of the family…)

2. Writing a book.
I’m waiting because I need a big block of time dedicated to doing it. (and we all know how often big chunks of free time appear in our lives…)

3. Living out loud.
I wanna know what it’s like to truly live out loud before I die. (Been waiting most of my adult life on this one—waiting until it felt totally safe to be me with no fear of rejection or judgment).

Making a list matters—we need to know precisely what it is that we’ve been waiting on. To come clean with ourselves.

It’s too darn easy for heart stuff to end up on the waiting list.

The things that REALLY matter to us.

The very things that we will look back on with regret if left to languish on a waiting list.
Those things that were way more meaningful than all that OTHER stuff that seemed so important.
It’s vital that we bring these lists out of hiding.
Post them if we will on our collective refrigerators with a magnet that bears the question, ‘How long am I willing to wait?‘

Right there in the open.
Undeniable.
Staring us down.
Asking us if not now, when?

What have we been waiting for?
Will we be satisfied with why we waited when it’s all said and done?

The someday waiting game doesn’t make sense amongst all magic afoot on this planet.
From fireflies to fiery sunsets to shooting stars and shimmering waves, the universe seems to ask each of us to live boldly and fully.
She leads the way by rolling forth her unrivaled self in every moment.
She’s not one to wait.

With her cue, let us cease the waiting.
Let us make a new list.
Name the things we’ve been waiting on because as you probably can feel in your bones…those things contain magic.
What will it do in our lives if we wake up?
What magic awaits those of us who decide to stop waiting?

What’s on your list? I’d love to hear about it—leave a comment below!

Special Note: I met a girl, I read her book. I loved her courage, her story, her success at being.
Jen Pastiloff’s book, ON BEING HUMAN, continues to unfold its story in me.
It’s raw, truth revealing, and inspiring. It’s a must-read!
A beautiful woman who is living out loud and adding so much value to the lives of others.

May I have the courage to be who I say I am. Buy your fear a cup of coffee and show it how it’s done.  ~ Jen Pastiloff

Her book is available for purchase in my Amazon Store—Click to Go!

My Friend Eddie — Watercolor